Found Deceased SC - Brittanee Drexel, 17, Myrtle Beach, 25 April 2009 - #9

On JVM DD was asked when she had first seen the video DD said 2 to 3 weeks after Britt disappeared. So looks like investigators got this shortly after Britt disappeared.

LLLindsayy said:

Brittanee Drexel’s mother holds onto hope
By Wendi Redman
Published: April 16, 2010
Updated: April 16, 2010

MYRTLE BEACH—Hope is hard to hold onto after your daughter has been missing for almost a year; however, Dawn Drexel, mother of missing teen Brittanee Drexel, told Inside Edition Friday that hope is one of the few things she still has.

“I have to hold out hope,“ said Dawn Drexel. “She’s my daughter.“

Dawn’s daughter, then 17-year-old Brittanee Drexel from New York, was vacationing in Myrtle Beach last spring break when she vanished.

Video surveillance from the Blue Water Resort captured the last images of the teen.

http://www2.scnow.com/scp/news/loca...ttanee_drexels_mother_holds_onto_hope/123013/

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Family still hopeful nearly year after teen's disappearance
By NATALIE SHEPHERD | News Channel 8
Published: April 16, 2010

PALMETTO - It's been nearly a year since 18-year-old Brittanee Drexel disappeared from a spring break trip to South Carolina on April 25, 2009. The teenager traveled to Myrtle Beach with friends, without her parents knowing.

The anniversary is a difficult one for her family in Manatee County.

"There's a lot of emotions," said her aunt, Keri Drexel. "Until there's evidence, it keeps the family going and the hope alive."

Keri Drexel has been working hard during the past year to keep her niece's name and picture in the public eye. She collaborated with the Florida Association of Crime Stoppers to get Brittanee's picture on the fourth-edition deck of Florida Unsolved Homicides and Missing Persons Playing Cards.

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/ap...ful-nearly-year-after-teens-disap/news-metro/

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Brittanee Drexel Video Released Shows Teen Hours Before Missing
by Amy Judd | April 16, 2010 at 01:10 pm

The video shown on The Today Show Friday April 16 2010 shows some new footage taken of missing teen Brittanee Drexel almost one year after her disappearance in Myrtle Beach.

The video shows Brittanee in a hotel room and she smiling and appears happy as she texts on her cell phone. There is a guy who was with her at this point and he was the one shooting the video, but police say that he is not a suspect in her disappearance.

http://www.nowpublic.com/world/brittanee-drexel-video-released-shows-teen-hours-missing-2606514.html

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New Video: Missing spring breaker Brittanee Drexel
By Continuous News Desk
Friday, April 16, 2010 at 4:05 p.m.

The mother of missing spring breaker Brittanee Drexel appeared on NBC's The Today Show Friday morning, with new video of her daughter taken the day before she disappeared.

The video was shot by a guy from Illinois who met Brittanee the night before she went missing in April of last year. It was shot in on a cell phone in a hotel room in Myrtle Beach.

Drexel was visiting the Grand Strand from Rochester, NY.

When the guy who took the video found out Brittanee was missing, he called police and was questioned. Police tell us he is not considered a suspect or even a person of interest.

http://www.carolinalive.com/news/story.aspx?id=444889

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I just have to say something about CD bothers me still couldn't get out of work "sure"

New video of missing Chili teen Brittanee Drexel
Posted at: 04/16/2010 9:36 AM | Updated at: 04/16/2010 6:51 PM

There is newly released video (watch it here)of missing chili teenager Brittanee Drexel taken the day before she disappeared last April.

I was shown exclusively this morning on The Today Show when Brittanee’s mother, Dawn, was being interviewed by Matt Lauer.

The video shows Brittanee relaxing in a hotel room, texting her friends while on spring break in Myrtle Beach. The video lasts only ten seconds and it was apparently taken by a boy Brittanee met there.

Police kept it confidential until now, but both Brittanee's Mom and Dad say they saw the video a year ago.

The next day, Brittanee was seen on surveillance video at a different hotel but she has not been heard from since. Police are saying they have three or four "persons of interest."

On The Today Show, Matt Lauer asked Dawn Drexel if she thinks police are doing enough to find her daughter. Drexel said, “I believe that they are.”

Lauer asked, “You think they've done everything they can?” And Drexel answered, “I don't think they've done everything they can but I believe that they are working on her case actively.”

Drexel's mom still has hope her daughter will be found alive. So does Brittanee's dad. Chad Drexel said, “My first reaction was that this is out of character for my daughter. She doesn't just meet someone, a young man and just go to his hotel room. That's out of character for her.”

Drexel says his daughter met the boy at the beach. “And he wanted to brag to his college buddies that he was able to meet up with a pretty young girl down there, hence, why he made this video. You'll notice that in that video she was texting the whole time. She was actually texting her boyfriend here in Rochester.”
Drexel says the boy went back home and later heard about it from his mother. “His mother mentioned about a missing girl down in Myrtle Beach, and he said 'oh my gosh, that's the girl I was with.' He said 'look Mom, I've got a video.'”

Drexel says the boy brought the phone video to the police. He says the boy was ruled out in her disappearance, as were the acquaintances Brittanee went to Myrtle Beach with but hearing his daughter's voice hurt. “It hurts when she says 'what' or something in her own little tone. Obviously you can sense that as a Dad.”
Chad Drexel says this has had an effect on his 12-year-old daughter -- Brittanee’s little sister. He, too, had wanted to be on The Today Show -- but couldn't get away from work.
Next week, Brittanee’s mom and dad are planning to be in Myrtle Beach for the one-year anniversary of her disappearance.


For more Rochester, N.Y. news go to our website www.whec.com.

I see some activity from today! This is good! I am too spaced out to process it tonight...going to do that tomorrow....

however before slumber, i wanted to share this:

unofficial sources say:

someone has virtually covered every street and side street and public place in the North Santee community with BD's missing person flyer! Also included on this flyer distribution rampage was the communities of Germantown, South Santee, Winyah even parts of georgetown!!...

"Can't hardly pull off of highway 17 around North Santee, or even georgetown for that matter, and not see girl's face" "She has definately NOT been forgotten!"

Some have even described these flyers as strategically placed....

night y'all! find me here tomorrow!

mlatta said:

I see some activity from today! This is good! I am too spaced out to process it tonight...going to do that tomorrow....

however before slumber, i wanted to share this:

unofficial sources say:

someone has virtually covered every street and side street and public place in the North Santee community with BD's missing person flyer! Also included on this flyer distribution rampage was the communities of Germantown, South Santee, Winyah even parts of georgetown!!...

"Can't hardly pull off of highway 17 around North Santee, or even georgetown for that matter, and not see girl's face" "She has definately NOT been forgotten!"

Some have even described these flyers as strategically placed....

night y'all! find me here tomorrow!

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WOW, i wonder who our mystery guy was that did all that poster posting
((((lets give Matt a Big hand pat on the back ))) my le friends think you did Awesome Job!!!!! Thank you for your time and giving!!!!!

hlnoftry said:

Hi Everyone,

I have been following this story from the beginning and have never posted anything. I applaud all of you for your dedication and insight. I am not one to follow stories fervently, but this one I find myself constantly searching for updates.

There has been so much head-scratching info from the get-go. There are a few I just can't seem to shake. One of them is the 9:16 text to JG. I just wonder...not as much about the timeline, but what this text could possibly have said if indeed he became frantic so quickly thereafter. Could she have sent him something to give him some sort of inclination that peril was lurking?

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According to this 9:16 thing, the bf had just received a text from her.

Yet he called Briittanee's roommates and asked about her, was told she hadn't returned and they couldn't find her.

And then he immediately called her mother and told her Brittanee was in Myrtle Beach and missing. Yet he had just received a text from her.

If you have just received a text from someone, they are not missing.

If the text is alarming, that is not referred to as missing. If I get an alarming text from someone, I don't call their mother and tell her her daughter is missing. I would tell her she seems to be in trouble nd we'd better get hold of the police, etc.

If I get a text from someone, respond, and don't get an answer within a couple of minutes, I don't start calling her friends and asking where she is. If I did call and was told they can't find her, I would say I just got a text from her. Let me ask her where she is.

A 9:16 call and the reactions of her bf and roommates culminating in a call to her mother at 9:30 cannot be reconciled. It is impossible.

Only an 8:15 call can be reconciled.

As to whether any call or text was made, from where to where and at what time, is all recorded. I can't imagine the pain and frustration of her family in dealing with a police force responsible for protecting their daughter before she disappeared and for finding her now that she's gone, but if even her family are witheld vital infomation about their missing daughter, I know the Myrtle Beach police think they know best and that it is their perogative to mislead at best, but it should come as no surprise that little to no help can come from the public to a police force acting like that.

rd

mlatta said:

I see some activity from today! This is good! I am too spaced out to process it tonight...going to do that tomorrow....

however before slumber, i wanted to share this:

unofficial sources say:

someone has virtually covered every street and side street and public place in the North Santee community with BD's missing person flyer! Also included on this flyer distribution rampage was the communities of Germantown, South Santee, Winyah even parts of georgetown!!...

"Can't hardly pull off of highway 17 around North Santee, or even georgetown for that matter, and not see girl's face" "She has definately NOT been forgotten!"

Some have even described these flyers as strategically placed....

night y'all! find me here tomorrow!

Click to expand...

You rock dude!

My mind keeps going back to the beginning of the investigation when LE said that there was some different things about this case that lead them to believe that Britt was still alive. Did anyone have any theories on what that info could be? I ask this since now LE are saying they believe she is now no longer alive.

Also, do you guys think there is something odd about this new video of Britt? I can't put my finger on it but she kind of seems sad or something out on the terrace.

Rochestergirl, good post from someone a page or two back that I clicked thanks on that addresses that it is clear the friends and family the police are referring to are local and why it is clear to her.

rd

p.s. Just call me rd, I had to add an extension to my name to make it long enough and unique to register

Rochestergirl said:

I just have to say something about CD bothers me still couldn't get out of work "sure"

New video of missing Chili teen Brittanee Drexel
Posted at: 04/16/2010 9:36 AM | Updated at: 04/16/2010 6:51 PM

There is newly released video (watch it here)of missing chili teenager Brittanee Drexel taken the day before she disappeared last April.

I was shown exclusively this morning on The Today Show when Brittanee’s mother, Dawn, was being interviewed by Matt Lauer.

The video shows Brittanee relaxing in a hotel room, texting her friends while on spring break in Myrtle Beach. The video lasts only ten seconds and it was apparently taken by a boy Brittanee met there.

Police kept it confidential until now, but both Brittanee's Mom and Dad say they saw the video a year ago.

The next day, Brittanee was seen on surveillance video at a different hotel but she has not been heard from since. Police are saying they have three or four "persons of interest."

On The Today Show, Matt Lauer asked Dawn Drexel if she thinks police are doing enough to find her daughter. Drexel said, “I believe that they are.”

Lauer asked, “You think they've done everything they can?” And Drexel answered, “I don't think they've done everything they can but I believe that they are working on her case actively.”

Drexel's mom still has hope her daughter will be found alive. So does Brittanee's dad. Chad Drexel said, “My first reaction was that this is out of character for my daughter. She doesn't just meet someone, a young man and just go to his hotel room. That's out of character for her.”

Drexel says his daughter met the boy at the beach. “And he wanted to brag to his college buddies that he was able to meet up with a pretty young girl down there, hence, why he made this video. You'll notice that in that video she was texting the whole time. She was actually texting her boyfriend here in Rochester.”
Drexel says the boy went back home and later heard about it from his mother. “His mother mentioned about a missing girl down in Myrtle Beach, and he said 'oh my gosh, that's the girl I was with.' He said 'look Mom, I've got a video.'”

Drexel says the boy brought the phone video to the police. He says the boy was ruled out in her disappearance, as were the acquaintances Brittanee went to Myrtle Beach with but hearing his daughter's voice hurt. “It hurts when she says 'what' or something in her own little tone. Obviously you can sense that as a Dad.”
Chad Drexel says this has had an effect on his 12-year-old daughter -- Brittanee’s little sister. He, too, had wanted to be on The Today Show -- but couldn't get away from work.
Next week, Brittanee’s mom and dad are planning to be in Myrtle Beach for the one-year anniversary of her disappearance.


For more Rochester, N.Y. news go to our website www.whec.com.

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After watching the JVM show today Dawn did not good look at all.. let's all extend our prayers.

I am surprised this video was released. It has existed for almost a year and we've never heard of it, although, Dawn/Chad knew of it from the beginning. It provides no info to the police except for maybe her texting habits as MBlover pointed out. I am not sure if Dawn/Chad even wanted it out. If anything it could be harmful for her image as we saw Chad come to her defense today. I guess it's irrelevant now anyway. However, we know she wasn't having a good time with friends she may have just wanted someone to hang with. I guess the one thing the video does, is show her fam unfortunately she may have not been thinking clearly down there.

I am still curious if this guy had any travel buddies with him. He was staying in a double bedroom. He was also cleared very fast I wonder when he went home, I don't think he would have left on Saturday with that being the night of the week but we don't know.

Prays to Dawn and fam...

Most recent articles, beginning with the most recent. Sorry if these have been posted. I'm just including all links since the last time I did this Still, no new info.

Brittanee Drexel's mom discusses case on 'Today'
Victoria E. Freile • Staff writer • April 17, 2010

Nearly one year after her daughter disappeared while on spring break, Dawn Drexel appeared on Today in New York on Friday morning, and spoke with show co-host Matt Lauer about the case.

Gates Chili High School student Brittanee Drexel was 17 when she traveled to Myrtle Beach without her parents' permission last year. She was last seen on hotel surveillance cameras on April 25, 2009. Brittanee's family and friends have traveled to South Carolina countless times to search for the teen.

Friday's appearance started a full day of events involving Drexel family members, including a news conference in Florida and a candlelight vigil in Myrtle Beach. S.C. Another candlelight vigil and a march for Brittanee are planned in Myrtle Beach next week.

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20100417/NEWS01/4170339
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Playing cards target Manatee cold cases
Published: Saturday, Apr. 17, 2010
Updated: Saturday, Apr. 17, 2010
By ROBERT NAPPER - rnapper@bradenton.com

MANATEE — The brutality of the crime shocked the community: A 42-year-old woman was shot to death in front of her 13-year-old daughter, who the gunman then pistol-whipped.

Machelle Brinson’s Nov. 19, 2007, killing during a home invasion in Palmetto remains unsolved — a source of great frustration for Manatee County Sheriff’s Office detectives. There is very little forensic evidence and no cooperation from the public on the case, Manatee Sheriff’s Brad Steube said.

Now Steube is hoping that Brinson’s case profile — included in a new deck of playing cards outlining details on cold cases across Florida — will lead to tips in the case.



http://www.bradenton.com/2010/04/17/2212746/authorities-target-manatee-cold.html
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Brittanee Drexel hunt hits 'Today'; Mother, volunteer take to the airwaves
By Tonya Root - troot@thesunnews.com
Saturday, Apr. 17, 2010

The mother of a missing New York teen and the director of a missing persons organization appeared on two national television shows Friday to discuss developments and search efforts in the case.

Dawn Drexel and Monica Caison spoke to Matt Lauer, host of the "Today" show, on Friday morning during a brief segment about Drexel's daughter, Brittanee Drexel, who was last seen April 25, 2009, in Myrtle Beach. Caison is director of the Community United Effort Center for Missing Persons located in Wilmington, N.C.

They also were set to appear on "Inside Edition" Friday evening, according to a CUE news release.

Brittanee Drexel was last seen on video surveillance leaving the Blue Water Hotel on Ocean Boulevard while on spring break in the area. Dozens of searchers have scoured Myrtle Beach and wooded areas in Georgetown and Charleston counties looking for clues in the teen's disappearance.

http://www.thesunnews.com/2010/04/17/1425866/drexel-hunt-hits-today.html
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Anniversary of teen vanishing is near
Updated: Friday, 16 Apr 2010, 11:21 PM EDT
Published : Friday, 16 Apr 2010, 11:21 PM EDT

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WIVB) - Next week will mark the one-year anniversary of the disappearance of a Rochester-area teen.

http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/crime/Anniversary-of-teen-vanishing-is-near
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Donovan's daughter: Media exposure good for Drexel case
Posted: Apr 16, 2010 10:25 PM EDT Updated: Apr 16, 2010 10:42 PM EDT
By Greg Argos

MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) - Angie Gilchrist, the daughter of a Gallivants Ferry woman murdered more than seven years ago, says an overdose of media exposure can only benefit the ongoing search for Brittanee Drexel.

Gilchrist, the daughter of Alice Donovan, says she understands how hard it is for Dawn Drexel, Brittanee's mother, to not know what happened to her daughter. It took more than seven years to find the body of her mother.

"For her, I'm sure it's the same, but this is her daughter," said Gilchrist. "This is an extension of her, and to lose her and not know where she is, I just can't even imagine."

Dawn Drexel has spent the last 24-hours appearing on national programs on both NBC and CNN Headline News to keep the story about her missing daughter on people's minds.

http://www.wmbfnews.com/Global/story.asp?S=12327662
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New video of missing Chili teen Brittanee Drexel
Posted at: 04/16/2010 9:36 AM | Updated at: 04/16/2010 6:51 PM

There is newly released video (watch it here)of missing chili teenager Brittanee Drexel taken the day before she disappeared last April.

I was shown exclusively this morning on The Today Show when Brittanee’s mother, Dawn, was being interviewed by Matt Lauer.

The video shows Brittanee relaxing in a hotel room, texting her friends while on spring break in Myrtle Beach. The video lasts only ten seconds and it was apparently taken by a boy Brittanee met there.

Police kept it confidential until now, but both Brittanee's Mom and Dad say they saw the video a year ago.

The next day, Brittanee was seen on surveillance video at a different hotel but she has not been heard from since. Police are saying they have three or four "persons of interest."

On The Today Show, Matt Lauer asked Dawn Drexel if she thinks police are doing enough to find her daughter. Drexel said, “I believe that they are.”

http://www.whec.com/news/stories/S1515958.shtml?cat=566

No disrespect to DD, she really looks exhausted, but I can kind of understand LE not revealing EVERYTHING to them about where the investigation is headed right now. If they gave specifics, names, location etc., and the Drexel's have a PI on the case, that PI goes around ruffling feathers all over the area, somehow the names get out in MSM, it could really jeopardize a lot. I am sure the family is frustrated and definitely agree with their disappointment of hearing LE does not believe she is alive in the media - yes, definitely that is upsetting. From what I gather though, that possibility was well defined to DD before now. I understand her frustration that if that is heard by the public, it greatly decreased the active eyes looking for an alive Brittanee, but as far as family members and Brittanee's younger siblings hearing that, really, if DD had been told to prepare for that possibility, she should somehow, ever so delicately, by now revealed that possibility to the siblings and other family members.

Maybe before LE released that statement, they should have simply contacted the family and said "Hey, this is going to be said." I think they said that because #1, they do believe she is deceased (unfortunately I am of the same mindset), and #2, stating that publicly is going to shake the trees of those responsible by hearing that as fact.

candi123 said:

My mind keeps going back to the beginning of the investigation when LE said that there was some different things about this case that lead them to believe that Britt was still alive. Did anyone have any theories on what that info could be? I ask this since now LE are saying they believe she is now no longer alive.

Also, do you guys think there is something odd about this new video of Britt? I can't put my finger on it but she kind of seems sad or something out on the terrace.

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Candi: I agree that there is something off...Do we know how long she was in the room...There seem to be two snippets...one of her on the bed looking fairly happy. And then the one of her in the chair, rapidly texting and not looking up to be videoed (sp?)...I just don't know I would be in a hotel room with someone I barely know and would be sitting by myself, texting, seemingly totally ignoring him and being taped...Seems odd...Were they waiting for someone and she was just trying to pass the time? Didn't really seem like they were interacting in any way so why is she there?

candi123 said:

My mind keeps going back to the beginning of the investigation when LE said that there was some different things about this case that lead them to believe that Britt was still alive. Did anyone have any theories on what that info could be? I ask this since now LE are saying they believe she is now no longer alive.

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I think the comment about "there were some different things in this case" was said before the december "tips" At the point of them stating the above, they may have thought she was alive, but since they have gotten tips and from one's who likely have knowledge of the happenings, well they know she is not alive.

Just my two cents.

nosysw said:

Candi: I agree that there is something off...Do we know how long she was in the room...There seem to be two snippets...one of her on the bed looking fairly happy. And then the one of her in the chair, rapidly texting and not looking up to be videoed (sp?)...I just don't know I would be in a hotel room with someone I barely know and would be sitting by myself, texting, seemingly totally ignoring him and being taped...Seems odd...Were they waiting for someone and she was just trying to pass the time? Didn't really seem like they were interacting in any way so why is she there?

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I know in the second clip it is like she doesn't even know she is being video'd. It just seems off for some reason to me. And yes I did notice that they were not interacting with one another. I thought maybe she wasn't there to visit this guy maybe there was another guy or girl in the shower and she was waiting for them to get out and she was texting to pass the time. JMO

candi123 said:

I know in the second clip it is like she doesn't even know she is being video'd. It just seems off for some reason to me. And yes I did notice that they were not interacting with one another. I thought maybe she wasn't there to visit this guy maybe there was another guy or girl in the shower and she was waiting for them to get out and she was texting to pass the time. JMO

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exactly!

My understanding is the police released this video, someone correct me if I am wrong. I still don't get is why did the police even release the video if it has nothing to do with the investigation?

-Doc- said:

My understanding is the police released this video, someone correct me if I am wrong. I still don't get is why did the police even release the video if it has nothing to do with the investigation?

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ur right! it's not like it gives a different physical impression of her that others might recognize while not recognizing the pictures released it the past...so maybe it does have something to do with the investigation after all...either that or they just figured the release of a "new" video would give additional exposure and stir up some new leads...

-Doc- said:

My understanding is the police released this video, someone correct me if I am wrong. I still don't get is why did the police even release the video if it has nothing to do with the investigation?

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Hi Doc
i may have missed that news piece on LE ,releasing that vid of BD with guy in room the nite before,,do you have a link etc that tells that LE release that? thanks

RoseC said:

Hi Doc
i may have missed that news piece on LE ,releasing that vid of BD with guy in room the nite before,,do you have a link etc that tells that LE release that? thanks

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I will try to dig it up. I'm always searching WHEC.com/SCnow.com/Carolinalive.com. I could have sworn I saw it either on WHEC or SCnow.com. I just don't think Dawn/Chad neccesarily wanted it out there they have known about it for a long time. And Chad rushed to her defense yesterday on it.

My guess is what Nos said. Maybe they wanted it out there to get her story out there more. But there are plenty of pictures of Brittanee out there. I bet most of MB are aware of who she is. I would still like a rationale behind the video.

Doc
This my understanding on that new video,,,,,,about 2-3 weeks after all news broke out on her being missing some guy from Illinos,called MB told them about video on his cell phone,so he sent to MB, MB did show to DD,CD,but LE MB i dont think leased it the JVM (IISUES SHOW))) got the video from another tv show (We also have fast-breaking developments in the search for a beautiful teenager who disappeared on spring break in Myrtle Beach more than a year ago. We now have new video from the show "Disappeared" on Investigation Discovery Network.)
Also i heard and read from cnn transcripts that BD left PB room at 8;30PM so now we do know real time of her last being seen,DD clearfied she left PB room at 8;30PM
but i cant say how that new video got into that other tv news???? But LE didnt release it,,,this week,,think it may came threw DD MC ,not sure tho